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I am unashamedly a millennial. I engage in many of the behaviours that make my generation distinctly different to the one that came before it. I am highly individualistic, perhaps some would even say narcissistic. I’ve had social media and access to the internet for as long as I can remember. I don’t really recall a time before having a mobile phone. I spent much of my life in education striving to get the qualifications that my parents and teachers had told me I needed. I studied sustainability, and for a while, I dedicated my life to saving the world and volunteering. I am in so many ways a complete cliché.

Getting credit or a mortgage declined is a big concern for many of us. In fact, most of us will need to use credit at some point in our lives, so it’s a big deal when we are declined. That’s why credit scores are important – to improve our chances of gaining access to credit and enabling us to navigate quickly through life’s twists and turns.

For many of the world’s poorest countries, financial inclusion is a big problem. Large numbers of people have trouble just getting a bank account, let alone access to credit – particularly in non-OECD countries like Colombia, Ukraine and Vietnam, just to name a few.

Just a few years ago, only a few people in the financial industry had access to an individual’s banking data. Data was ‘owned’ by a few major players such as large financial institutions, and all access had to go through these information gatekeepers. Limited sharing of data has resulted in a stagnated offering of banking products to customers that have not significantly changed in decades: people are paying too much for their overdrafts or money sits in current accounts earning little, or sometimes even no interest. To summarise, customers are not happy.

To eliminate extreme poverty, many leading global organisations have made financial inclusion a top priority. Business leaders and policymakers have dedicated themselves to improving the quality of life for the world’s poorest, and they believe economic and social progress starts with an inclusive financial system that meets the needs for all income levels.

The traditional credit scoring system has long been used as the primary method to rate a person’s creditworthiness. The current rating system is led by a select handful of major credit bureaus and agencies within each country, who hold the power to determine an individual’s credit eligibility. Yet new systems, known as alternative credit scoring methods, make a strong case for providing a fairer and more modern scoring system and are already making huge strides in shaking up the industry.

Few industries are transforming as rapidly as the financial industry, with financial institutions striving to gain a competitive edge on their peers. Traditional analog methods are being left behind as industry leaders implement technology to improve speed, efficiency as well as to meet customer needs in an altogether more comprehensive manner. In this fast-paced and unique environment, how can you navigate the market successfully?

An effective digitalisation process creates meaningful change through exciting new areas of technology. Many of the technical benefits of such a shift are apparent, such as better user experiences and faster load times. Technology is transforming economies, pushing companies to adapt and forcing governments to reconsider its implications. But what about the social benefits? What are some of the impacts of digital transformations on society?

Recently, we were lucky enough to present at a local Stockholm event together with PHD Media and Google. The event focused on the topic of the future of technology. For technology nerds like us, this was an excellent opportunity to hear some alternative perspectives on the future.

Using transactional behaviour to calculate your credit score is not a new phenomenon. In fact, in a bid to make credit scoring fairer and more accessible to all, it is one of many alternative methods to traditional credit scores.